18mz fetish

[Generalx5]

Im not kidding, I went to the store yesterday and got my hands on the 18mz... No I didn't buy one, I just played with it. I was blown away.... Current owner of the 8fh is already a great feeling but when I got face to face with the infamous 18mz. I got all orgasmic on it... Today I find myself looking at pictures and videos of the TX. Seriously I'm whoring over it....

$3000 seems like the atomic bomb for the buck. I am motivated to start my own campaign to get enough funds for an 18MZ will anyone support me if I go ahead with my dream projects using the 18mz?

[DominicD]

I recently helped out a fella who brought one to the field. Apparently I was able to fix the problem he was having .... only by sheer luck A very complex radio, that to be honest serves no purpose outside of planks and scale. With FBL units doing the grunt work our radios only need to be 2 gimbles and 2 switches.

[fr92Furtif]

What is complex with the 18 ? I had the impression that things are easier with this radio.

Could not agree more, a Dx7 or a T8J is more than enough for today FBL controllers.
But there may be a big difference between what you need and what you want.

Originally Posted by DominicD

...A very complex radio, that to be honest serves no purpose outside of planks and scale. With FBL units doing the grunt work our radios only need to be 2 gimbles and 2 switches.

[bossee]

Sooner or later there will be good second hand 18MZ out there. When they will be avaliable second hand for about half new price today I will start looking for one. I use 14MZ today and it can do all I need but the display in sunshine is not good at all and a big negative thing. And no telemetry - one need the external Futaba/Robbe telemetrybox and new reciever then and total cost to get telemetry on FASST radio is just to steep in my opinion. It is however good one can buy that addon to get telemetry (only in Europe so far) if You want it and can pay the rather high price.

/Bo

[lucab617]

I just got my 18mz from heliproz about 1 week ago for $2450 with their 13% off sale. Great deal.

[DominicD]

Originally Posted by fr92Furtif

What is complex with the 18 ? I had the impression that things are easier with this radio.

Could not agree more, a Dx7 or a T8J is more than enough for today FBL controllers.
But there may be a big difference between what you need and what you want.

Try using one, its just over the top complex.

[Phaedrus]

Originally Posted by DominicD

Try using one, its just over the top complex.

I'm not sure "complex" is the word I would use. It is very powerful and offers a nearly unlimited amount of programming flexibility. May not be need for most helis, especially FBL helis. I fly helis, gliders, scale gliders, and pattern planes. I'm glad to have the power and flexibility.

[fr92Furtif]

Maybe I have my 18MZ for too long now and cannot realize how things maybe be "complex" anymore.

Can you give me an example of something complex with this radio ?

Originally Posted by DominicD

Try using one, its just over the top complex.

[DominicD]

Not without one sitting in front of me. I have just had to on several occasions help a 18mz or 14mz owner program their radio because they couldn't figure something out. I've had similar situations with most radios, but on most radios I find it easy to find it, this wasnt the case on the big Futabas.

[Mercuriell]

I agree the 18MZ is easier to program than the 14M or 12Z,the touch features are very quick and easy to use. I do agree with Dom that the number of facilities is way overkill for most uses. Having said that it does have a marvelous feel to the gimbals and battery life is way better than the 12 or 14

[DominicD]

I am a big Futaba fan, but i will be the first to admit they arent the most intuitively designed radios. I would love to be have some input on the design and layout of these things, with a radio specifically geared towards the heli market.... but i aint holding my breathe

[fr92Furtif]

It's pity as I was sincerely curious about what would not be simple to do with this radio.
But ok, understood.

Originally Posted by DominicD

Not without one sitting in front of me. I have just had to on several occasions help a 18mz or 14mz owner program their radio because they couldn't figure something out. I've had similar situations with most radios, but on most radios I find it easy to find it, this wasnt the case on the big Futabas.

[Phaedrus]

I guess I am so familiar with the programming that it does not seem "complex" to me. In that regard it is like riding a bicycle, it is only hard to do until you learn how. As I said above, this is an extremely powerful radio and in a sense you can make it as simple or complex as you want it to be.

[DominicD]

Even my 10CG is overly complex. Some of the things that really bother me about the programming (not isolated to Futaba). Why on earth are the defaults set so the levelers are operational, and why does the radio beep and complain when the TH is off ... it should be the opposite.

[stevehof]

Originally Posted by DominicD

Try using one, its just over the top complex.

Not if you are already flying a current Futaba transmitter. I setup a guy's DFC 700 and Vbar today on an 18mz and never even looked at the manual. The gimbals on that thing are unreal smooth. That alone is nearly enough to make me consider getting one. It balances on the neck strap without an adapter. The switch locations are closer to my fingers and are user swappable and much much more. There are reasons to consider the 18mz beyond the obvious lack of need for ECCPM mixing of any kind when using FBL...

[wargor]

18MZ is a dream to program. I had a JR 10X a long time ago and that is the easiest radio to program ever! I've had futaba since the 9Z (PITA) to program and figure out. The 14 was a great improvement over the 9Z. Since I fly gliders and other planes, the 18 was the way to go. I was too use to the touch screen and ease of the 14 to take a step down. If you are only flying fbl heli's you don't need this radio.

[rctintin]

I am just about to buy one. At the moment I fly with a 12FG, and love the feel of it, but I have big hands, and the switch placement on the shoulders is a pain as to close together. A few weeks ago, a guy who has one set his up with a remote mouse to program it to one of my Helis so I could fly with it. It took all of 6-7min to fully set up by copying all my end points and curves across etc., and it was without doubt the best Tx I have ever had the pleasure of flying with.

Just for the record, I fly Helis, planks, and gliders, and I have owned JR, KO, Spektrum and Futaba Radios, and the 18MZ is miles ahead of anything I have used before it.

[stevehof]

Originally Posted by wargor

If you are only flying fbl heli's you don't need this radio.

Nobody NEEDS this radio...

[fr92Furtif]

Completely agree with that.
But speaking for myself I had to get it. Still trying to understand why

Originally Posted by stevehof

Nobody NEEDS this radio...

[sahmed]

@ FR92..

Hi, I would welcome any 18MZ step by step instructions to set up my helis:

On my old 10CP radio I have 7 point pitch curve, first I put the throttle to half stick then use a pitch guage to set 0 degrees with the transmitter and then I set full throttle max pitch and low throttle negative pitch and then I would normally smooth out the curve by adjusting the points in between. Can anyone explain how to do this on the 18MZ please?